Burnham scraps controversial plans to curb jury trials

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has scrapped controversial plans to limit jury trials. The government proposed allowing judges to decide alone on cases with sentences under three years, mainly for complex fraud and financial crimes. The move faced strong opposition from legal professionals and was seen as a victory for those defending jury trials. The original plan aimed to address the court backlog of nearly 81,000 cases, but was abandoned amid widespread criticism.